Life After His Death
by Lieutenant Caine
Summary: Things will be different after he dies.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N After watching the old season 7 episode "Resurrection", Athena took off on a tangent and produced this vision of how she would like to have seen that episode end.**

**Cal, I know you are headed for Cali this week. Travel safely my love, and come home to me soon. My heart misses you terribly when you're gone.**

**All my tenderness, Sweetheart,**

**H**

Life After His Death

_He could be anywhere,_ Ryan had said, and Calleigh felt a dam somewhere deep inside slowly crumble, releasing a small trickle of emotion. That trickle would become a raging torrent in short order, she knew, and so she spun on her heel and walked away from the eyes that followed her every footstep.

"Calleigh…it was the only way…he had to…" Ryan called after her.

"Save it, Ryan. I'm not listening," Calleigh barked out in a voice choked with emotion.

"Wait, Cal," Eric called as he loped after her and gently caught her by the arm, forcing her to turn and look at him.

Her tears were held at bay only by pure grit and stubbornness, and a rapidly growing sense of anger.

"Calleigh he was protecting us..." Eric began, only to stop, stunned as Calleigh's hand slapped his face.

"Just leave me alone, Eric. Both of you LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Eric stepped back, rubbing slightly at the red handprint on his cheek. "Cal, don't take it so hard. He's alive, he's safe, and he's okay."

"Yeah? Well, I'm NOT!" She screamed. "I felt my heart shatter when Ryan told us he had taken a round in the chest, felt my world collapse when I thought we would never see him again, lost part of my soul, damn it! I'm NOT okay, do you understand? I'm NOT OKAY!"

By now, Calleigh was shaking under a tidal wave of conflicting emotions; the lingering shock of his 'supposed' death; the sense of loss; the mind-numbing relief that he was actually alive; and the anger at having been put through such an emotional upheaval. Eric could see that she was close to a total breakdown, so setting aside his own turbulent feelings over the matter, he drew Calleigh into his arms and snuggled her close to his chest.

"It's okay, Calleigh. Just cry. It will help."

Calleigh's hands clenched into his shirtfront, and she cried, rivers of hot, angry tears. Eric mumbled soft sounds into her ear, soothing and rocking her gently from side to side much as he would have done with a child. He brushed a soft kiss over the top of her head and closed his eyes, understanding tearing at his heart as he listened to her anguished cries. He'd been put through the same gut-wrenching gauntlet of emotions and knew all to well the bewildering confusion Calleigh was feeling.

A soft sound from behind Calleigh caught his attention and he opened his eyes to see Horatio standing there watching, his blue eyes radiating a myriad of expressions. Quietly he approached and looked into Eric's eyes, his message clear. _I'll take it from here._

"Calleigh," Eric said softly, "I think you need to see this."

"I don't need to see anything except Horatio Caine to slap his face for doing this to our team." She sobbed into Eric's shirt.

Horatio winced at that remark and then cleared his throat, the sound bringing Calleigh's head up from Eric's chest like a shot. She impaled Horatio with a furious glare.

Slowly Eric lowered his arms from around Calleigh's shoulders and stepped back, aware of the sizzling tension that crackled between Calleigh's green eyes and Horaito's blue ones.

"Take care, H. I'll see you later."

As soon as the echoes of Eric's footsteps had faded from their hearing, Calleigh shook her head and sighed loudly. When she spoke, her voice was ominously soft.

"Why? Why did you put us…ME…through that? Why, Horatio?"

"Calleigh, I had to die to force Ron Saris out into the open. He would never let down his guard if he knew that I'm not really dead. This is the only way I can get, Calleigh."

"It's all about the case, isn't it?!" Calleigh snapped. "…all about Horatio Caine getting the bad guy. Well what about this team, Horatio? What about the grief and the shock and the pain we went through for nothing. What about our doubts now that you trust us? Why Ryan, Horatio? Why not me or Eric, or Frank. For god's sakes, he's your best friend. I would have though you'd trust him enough to let him know what was going on."

Here, Horatio interrupted her angry tirade. "Calleigh, you and I both know the fewer people who know about an operation like this, the better the chances for success."

"I don't care about the success of the operation, Horatio! I care about you. I was worried about you. Damn it, I love you, Horatio Caine!"

The words spilled out before Calleigh could stop them and they hung suspended in the air between them.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

An immense chasm of silence stretched between Horatio and Calleigh after her unintentional but impassioned exclamation. Seconds stretched into eternity before either of them spoke. Finally it was Horatio who bridged the distance with a simple opening of his arms toward Calleigh.

"Come here to me, Sweetheart," he growled softly.

His infinite gentleness and the significance of his gesture moved Calleigh to a fresh storm of tears and she turned her back to him, trying to hide the all too visible effect he was having on her. Too late she realized her mistake, but by then he had already taken the few steps necessary to close the physical gap between them and had wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her firmly against his chest. The contact broke her weakened control into a million irretrievable pieces. She turned in his arms, buried her face in his shirt and wept all over again.

Horatio held her close, absorbing the tremors as her body shook beneath the deluge of pain and anger and relief that besieged her by turns. His hands stroked slowly over her back, caressing and soothing, until Calleigh's tears slowed to short, hiccupping sniffles.

"Better now?" His voice rumbled from somewhere deep in his chest, and Calleigh nodded her head yes. She lifted her head to look up at him and caught her breath at the expression in his eyes.

Regret, pain, understanding, forgiveness, and love glimmered there.

"Calleigh, I'm sorry you had to go through this. Believe me, I hated myself for making you grieve so."

"Oh Handsome, grief doesn't even come close…" Tears welled again in her eyes and Horatio hurried to brush them away.

"Shhh…It's almost over. Trust me, Sweetheart. We will have a much needed, and long overdue I suspect, talk when it is, but for now, the team must continue acting as though I am indeed dead. And you won't see me again until I've taken Ron Saris down for good."

"But, Horatio how long will that be?" Calleigh protested.

"Two or three days at the most, Sweetheart."

Two or three days sounded like an eternity to an emotionally battered Calleigh, and she dipped her head back against his chest to hide the despair in her eyes.

Horatio lifted one hand to cup the side of her face and gently lifted her face up.

"Calleigh…" he hesitated and then bent his head to hers and kissed her softly. Her lips moved beneath his and he struggled to control the urge to gather her more fully into his arms and let passion have its rein. Aching with regret, but knowing it was necessary, he broke the kiss far too soon for either of their liking and looked down into Calleigh's eyes.

"I have to go. I've stayed too long already. I'm sorry, Calleigh."

He forced himself to disentangle her from his arms and set her back away from his embrace. The look on Calleigh's face tore at his heart and almost he surrendered to the urge to take her back into his arms and kiss her until she moaned with pleasure.

"Be safe, Handsome. Please come back to me…I love you. I love you, Horatio."

At that moment, Eric came around the corner and saw them standing there. One look at the stricken expression on both their faces told him everything he needed to know.

Horatio flicked a glance in his direction and spoke quietly. "Take care of her for me Eric, until I get back."

"You got it, H."

With one last look at Calleigh's anguished face, Horatio turned and walked away, each step sending agony through his soul. He turned a deaf ear to the sounds of her quiet cries, knowing that he couldn't afford the distraction of her distress.

Eric wrapped an arm around Calleigh's heaving shoulders and pulled her to his side in a brotherly hug.

"He'll be back, Cal. He'll be back."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

What followed were three days and nights of unmitigated torture for Calleigh. Every phone call sent her pulse racing. Every person who entered her lab was given the same hopeful gaze followed by a disappointed sigh. Eating became a chore. And work served only to pass time between meaningless daily activities.

Nighttime was an exercise in futility, since sleep evaded her for hours, only to taunt her with agonizing dreams when she did manage to drop off into a fitful doze…

"_Why couldn't you just leave Julia and me and the kid alone, Caine?" Saris asked with a sneer as he struck Horatio across the face again. _

_Horatio didn't answer. Blood ran in a steady stream from his mouth where Saris had repeatedly slapped him. His hands were cuffed together and held above his head by a chain that dangled from the ceiling of the old warehouse. His feet were shackled to the floor, leaving him suspended and totally vulnerable to whatever savagery Saris decided to dish out on the redhead. His shirt hung in tatters, revealing bloody welts and bruises across his ribs and chest. A chain lay on the floor near Horatio's feet, the instrument that had dealt him those injuries. _

_Saris wiped a fleck of blood from the back of his hand where it had splattered when he slapped Horatio the last time. _

"_Well, I've had about as much fun as I have time for Horatio. It's been a real party, but you've been kinda quiet. You really ought to loosen up, you know? My boys are gonna be here in a few minutes with the money for those fused alloy rounds, so I gotta go. But hey, I'll tell Julia hello for you while we're making love. And I'll think of you on Father's Day when I take Kyle out deep sea fishing."_

_He turned to go but then spun and pointed a nine millimeter at Horatio. "Good bye Caine, for good this time." He pulled the trigger and…_

Calleigh screamed and sat straight up in bed trembling and shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. She gasped for breath and passed an unsteady hand across her eyes in a vain effort to clear away the images still lingering in her mind's eye. The sound of the gunshot still rang in her ears. Dragging herself from the bed, she stood weak - kneed and shaken, the dream having dealt her a devastating albeit imaginary blow to her emotions. Tears spilled from her eyes in a miniature waterfall, and cascaded down her cheeks to fall softly against the tops of her bare feet.

"Horatio I can't take much more of this not knowing," she sobbed to the empty room.

She made her way to the bathroom where she turned on the faucet and splashed the icy water on her face, trying to stem the tide of emotion. She failed miserably. Giving up entirely she sat down in the floor, rested her back against the vanity and gave full rein to her misery. Deep wracking sobs shook her body, and tears flowed unchecked, wetting not only the front of her face but the front of her lace gown as well. Over and over she whispered Horatio's name through the tears.

"Horatio, please…I can't stand this any more…"

And then somehow, he was there; pulling her from the unfeeling support of the floor into the warm, tender haven of his arms.

Calleigh closed her eyes and savored the incredible reality of the dream, nuzzling her face into his chest and clinging to him as though her life depended on him. All too soon the dream would end and she would be forced to face yet another day without him at work.

"Calleigh…Sweetheart, look at me." His voice seemed so real, but still Calleigh refused to open her eyes, desperate to make the dream last as long as she possibly could.

This time his voice was accompanied by a gentle shake, and Calleigh's eyes flew open in surprise.

"Calleigh, Sweetheart..." The whiskey smooth tones almost convinced her that he was no mere figment of her emotion battered mind. She wanted so desperately to see him that her mind was playing tricks on her it seemed. He looked real, felt so solid and warm, yet Calleigh continued disbelieving her senses. Too many times over the past three days and nights she had wakened to a dark, empty room. This time would be no different, she was sure, until his lips closed over hers in a masterful kiss.

Finally Calleigh allowed her aching heart to believe that he was there, holding her, kissing her, caressing her and whispering passionate endearments in her ear. When he finally broke the kiss, she looked up into his eyes and smiled tremulously.

"Is it really you, Handsome? I'm not still dreaming?" Her hand reached up to trace the firm line of his jaw, reassuring herself that she was really in his arms and not simply living another wishful dream.

"I'm here, Calleigh, I'm real, and I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, Handsome…"

There really was no need for more words from either of them.

Horatio lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the bed where he carefully laid her back against the soft covers. He removed his own clothing and then lowered himself onto the bed beside her.

"Calleigh," he said, locking gazes with her, "Calleigh, I love you."

"Horatio…" that was as much as Calleigh had time to say before his mouth closed over hers again and swept away all thoughts of words.

* * *

Morning found them sound asleep, wrapped in each others arms and tangled in the sky blue sheets of Calleigh's bed… and significantly late for work. When the phone rang, Horatio jerked awake and sat up, heart pounding until he identified the source of the sound. With a groan he reached for his phone and flipped it open.

"Horatio," he answered.

"Horatio, where the hell are you?" came Frank's irritated voice.

"Ah Frank, do me a favor. Have Eric run things for me today."

"Sure thing, man. But are you okay?"

Horatio flipped his phone closed and Frank found himself talking to dead air.

Rolling back over in the bed, Horatio was relieved to see that the call had not awakened Calleigh and he drew her back into his arms, cuddling her close to his chest. He closed his eyes and slipped back off to sleep.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**It is amazing what one can accomplish on a laptop at 35,000 ft on a flight to Miami. Cal, I miss you, Sweetheart. Opposite ends of the country and it feels like you're light years away. Much love, my dearest.**

**To my readers, I have not abandoned "The Seduction of Horatio Caine". I have simply taken a little time to recharge my batteries. Keep in mind I'm not a pro at vampire fiction and am learning as I write. Quite simply stated, I have exhausted my current store of knowledge about vamps and am learning more before I write more. I beg your patience and thank you for all the wonderful reviews you've given me to this point. They are precious to me.**

**But now to the conclusion of "Life After His Death"**

**H**

Calleigh squirmed and giggled as Horatio walked his fingers up her back and lightly tickled across her bare shoulders. His meandering hands found their way to her ribs and the giggle turned into a blown laugh.

"Horatio…stop…that tickles…" she gasped out.

"Oh, it does?" he murmured, continuing his teasing. He stroked one fingertip along her hip and down the outside of her thigh before skimming across the back of her knee.

Calleigh was reduced to breathless laughter. Finally Horatio relented and rolled her over to look down into her starry eyes.

"You know we are seriously late for work." He whispered as he nuzzled his way over her face, dotting the end of her nose with a tiny kiss. Why don't we…" he became distracted by the sensitive spot just below her ear, and nipped lightly at it, drawing a moan from Calleigh. "…why don't we take the day off?"

"But don't you have to…"

Horatio shook his head and carried on with his ardent attention to Calleigh's neck, sending shivers of growing pleasure ghosting over her skin.

"It's over, Sweetheart. I don't have to do anything now except make up for the five days of torment we went through. Besides, I've already talked to Frank and told him to put Eric in charge for the day." He continued talking, but the words made no sense to Calleigh. She only knew the touch of his lips against hers, the feel of his hands caressing her and the seductive tones of his voice.

Softly, sweetly then he made love to her, carrying her yet again to heights of pleasure she'd only reached in her most cherished fantasies of him. She realized her dreams were but pale shadows compared to the reality of being made love to by Horatio Caine.

Much later, reality in the form of hunger forced them to forsake the comfort of Calleigh's bed and head to the kitchen in search of something to eat.

Calleigh sliced oranges and peaches while Horatio made sandwiches of cold cut meats, since they were far too late for breakfast. He carried their food to the patio while Calleigh made a pitcher of ice cold, sweet tea and then joined him at the white wrought iron table. Birds twittered from the Hibiscus bushes and the palm fronds overhead rustled gently in the early afternoon Miami breeze.

Calleigh leaned her head back against the headrest of her lounge chair and sighed gustily, earning her an intense look from Horatio.

"That was a loaded sigh, Sweetheart…"

She turned to look at him with her heart in her eyes. "Is it really over with Saris, Handsome? Are you truly safe now?"

"It's over, Calleigh. Saris is in custody, well… actually he's in Miami General Hospital right now with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over most of his body. He won't be causing anyone any trouble for quite a while now. But the best thing is that he had the entire supply of fused alloy bullets stockpiled on that boat, and when it blew, it destroyed all of them in a single giant fireball."

Calleigh closed her eyes and let the knowledge sink into the very marrow of her bones. The last several days had taken their toll on her and she needed to hear that it was over, that there would be no more nights alone, agonizing over Horatio's safety; wondering if he would end up dead for real; wondering if she would ever see him again.

Horatio sensed the lingering traces of disquiet in Calleigh's mood and he moved from his lounge chair to hers and sat on the edge of it, facing her. The shadow cast by his body blocked the warmth of the sun and Calleigh opened her eyes to look at him.

He leaned down and kissed her softly before settling more firmly against her body. Her lips clung to his and she whimpered quietly in protest when he pulled back to look at her.

"Calleigh, I love you. It took 'dying' to see that, but I know it now, know it with every fiber of my heart and soul. I love you, Calleigh Duquesne."

She reached for him and drew him back down, and together they shared the joys of life after his death.


End file.
